Improvement in envelope-openers



0.. B. STEPHENS. ENVELOP OPENER.

No. 96,845. Patented Nov. 1-6, 1869.

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CHARLES B. STEPHENS, OF RIVERTON, CONNECTICUT.

Letters Patent No. 96,845, dated November 16, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN ENVELOPE-OPENERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and. making part of the same To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OIIARLES B. STEPHENS, of Riverton, in the county of Litchfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented a.41ew and useful Improvement in Combination Envelope-0pener; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make nd use the samerreference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates-to a new and usefful improvement in an instrument for openingenvelopes of letters, public documents, &c.; and consists in a peculiarly-formed cutting-blade and handle, and also in combining therewith an ink and a lead-eraser, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 represents a side view, and

Figure 2, an edge view of the instrument.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the blade, which is formed (in the outline) something like the ordinary eraser-blade, at and near its point, but it has either one or two cutting points B, in the form of barbs, as seen in fig. 1.

O is the handle, which is of metal or other suitable Its edges are grooved, as indicated by the dotted lines in fig. 1.

The handle extends forward in a spear-shape, and is bisected so that the blade A is fastened by screws between the parts, as seen in fig. 2.

By fastening the blade with screws, it can be read- -ily removed for sharpening the points B.

Theposition of these points corresponds with the centre of the grooves (I of the handle, but they are slightly raised from the bottom of the groove, so that when the instrument is drawn in cont-act with the edge of an envelope, the point will enter just inside the fold, and. out the pap r at th fold, while the gr ove (1 acts as a guide for keeping the edge ofthe envelope in the proper position while being cut.

F represents an India-rubber eraser, which is fast ened to theback end of the handle by rivets or screws, or in any other suitable manner.

Itwill thus be seen that three useful articles are combined in this instrument, each durable, as regards its construction, and perfect in its operation.

Having thus described my invention,

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The eraser-blade A, (with one or more-points B in combination with a rooved handle and 0 er ating substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

2. In combination with the bladeA and handle C, theleatl-pencil eraser I, substantially as described.

' 3. The combination of an ink and lead-eraser with an envelope-opener, substantially as described.

' CHARLES B; STEPHENS. Witnesses:

D. H. STEPHENS, JAMES B. SMITH. 

